Winding apparatus



Dec. 21, 1965 J. D. CONT] WINDING APPARATUS Filed May 28, 1964 3,224,698ll/ENDING APPARATUS l'ohn D. Conti, lElliins Park, Pa, assignor to FMCCorporation, Philadelphia, 1%., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 28,I964, Ser. No. 370,975 2 (Ilairns. (Ql. 24255) This invention relates towinding of webs and more particularly to an improved apparatus forguiding the longitudinal edges of a thin web during the winding thereofand for minimizing lateral movement between layers of the web which havebeen wound.

Various proposals have been made for controlling the tendency for thinwebs to telescope as they are being wound into roll form. Such proposalsmay involve the use of web edge detectors which effect lateral movementof roll supporting carriages, variations in web tension patterns,limitations on the size or diameter of the wound roll, etc. None ofthese or other similar measures have been entirely satisfactory from thestandpoint of operat ing efficiency, economy and/ or the resultingproduct. Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to pro videa generally new or improved and more satisfactory web winding apparatus.

Another object is the provision of an apparatus designed to minimizetelescoping of thin webs as they are being wound in roll form.

Still another object is the provision of apparatus for guiding the edgesand minimizing lateral movement of a thin web as it is being wound uponitself.

Still further objects will appear from the following description.

These objects are accomplished in accordance with the present inventionby an apparatus in which a resilient, inflated follower roll is employedfor guiding the longitudinal edges of a thin web as it is being wound inroll form. More particularly, the follower roll includes a shaft and athin-walled sleeve or tubing which extends between a pair of fixed endplates. The thin-walled tubing is formed of a highly resilient rubber orlike material and is adapted to be inflated to a desired pressure by airor other gas which is delivered through an opening in the roll shaft. Arigid tube having an outside diameter which is slightly less than theinside diameter of the thin-walled resilient sleeve, is fixed to theroll shaft and serves to prevent the follower roll sleeve from bowingexcessively when it is pressed snugly against the wound roll.

A pair of pivot arms support the follower roll against the web rollwhich is being wound and permit the follower roll to move away from theaxis of the wound roll as it iincreases in diameter. The follower rollextends across the entire width and beyond the longitudinal edges of thethin web as such web is being wound upon itself in roll form. Thesupporting arms are weighted or otherwise actuated so as to urge thefollower roll against the web with sufiicient force as to have theresilient sleeve deform and, in effect, extend over and embrace sideportions of the wound roll. In this manner, the distorted portions ofthe resilient sleeve guide the longitudinal edges of the advancing weband prevent the same from moving laterally as it is wound upon itself inroll form.

In the drawing, FIGURE 1 is a side view of a portion of a web windingapparatus which incorporates the improved follower roll of theinvention; and

FIGURE 2 is a front View on an enlarged scale of a portion of theapparatus shown in FIGURE 1.

fit-[lee 3,224,69h Patented Dec. 21, 1965 Referring to the drawing athin web 9 which is to be wound upon itself is advanced from anysuitable apparatus such as a coater, printing apparatus, etc., passedover a series of tension rolls Ill, 13, 15 and 17 and then col lected ona core 19 which is rotated by a conventional means, not shown. Thetension rolls l1, 13, 15 and 17 are rotatably supported by the fixedframe members 21 which form a part of any known winding apparatus.

The follower roll of the present invention is indicated generally by thecharacter 23 and includes a shaft 25, a pair of rigid annular end plates27 and a thin-walled sleeve or tubing 29 which extends between and isfixed to the end plates 27. The sleeve 2i is formed of a soft, highlyresilient rubber or like material and is adapted to be inflated with airor other gas delivered through a valve 31 and a passage 33 formed in theshaft 25. A rigid tube 35 is fixed to the inner shaft 25 by plates 37which are of open construction so as to permit the contained gas to movefreely within the follower roll. The outside diameter of the rigid tube35 is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the sleeve 29 so thata narrower space 39 normally exists between these members.

The follower roll 23 is supported between the ends of a pair of arms 41which are interconnected by a tie rod 43 and are pivoted at 45 to thefixed frame members 21. As shown in FIGURE 2, the arms 41 are eachattached to the follower roll shaft 25 by bearings 47, with a washer orspacer 29 being interposed between each of the arms 41 and the adjacentend plate 27 of the follower roll. The portions 51 of the support arms41 which project beyond the pivots 45 permit the follower roll 23 to beeasily lifted away from the roll of web material which is being wound,as for example during initial lacing operations.

In use, the follower roll 23 is inflated with air or other gas andpermitted to rest upon the web roll as shown in FIGURE 1. Under theweight of the follower roll and the portions of the arms 41 to whichsuch roll is connected, the portion of the resilient sleeve 29 which isin direct engagement with the web roll is deformed or flattened, asshown in FIGURE 2, until it engages with the rigid tube 35. It will benoted that in this condition the portions of the sleeve 29 which extendbeyond the edges of the web fold over and, in effect, embrace portionsof the roll sides. If desired, the follower roll may be urged moresnugly against the wound web under a positive pressure, as byconventional hydraulic means.

As a result of the action of the follower roll, the longitudinal edgesof the thin web which is being wound are properly guided and maintainedaligned with the edges of that portion of the web which is already woundon the roll core. More important, the projection of the follower rollsleeve over and onto the sides of the wound roll stabilize the same bypreventing the wound layer of the web from shifting laterally andthereby causing the roll to telescope. Furthermore, the force of thefollower roll assists in providing a tight web roll.

It will be noted that the rigid tube 35 of the follower roll minimizesthe degree of deformation of the roll sleeve 29 and prevents bowing ofthe follower roll. Further, it will be apparent that in view of the gascontained within the follower roll the sleeve will engage with the webroll substantially along its entire length even if such web roll is notof uniform diameter and contains undulations and/ or other surfacedeformities.

It is to be understood that changes and variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A winding apparatus including a core on which a web is wound into aroll, means for guiding the web toward and onto said core, an inflatablefollower roll, having a shaft, :1 pair of end plates, a sleeve formed ofsoft and highly resilient material extending between and secured to saidend plates, and means for inflating said sleeve, said sleeve beinglonger than the width of the web which is being wound, and means forurging said follower roll against the surface of the web roll so thatportions of the inflated follower roll sleeve project over and onto thesides of the web roll.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 further including a rigid tubepositioned within said sleeve for preventing 4 bowing of said followerroll sleeve when pressure is applied to its surface, said tube having anoutside diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of said sleeve.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 139,518 4/1903 Germany.

19,094 1897 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

1. A WINDING APPARATUS INCLUDING A CORE ON WHICH A WEB IS WOUND INTO AROLL, MEANS FOR GUIDING THE WEB TOWARD AND ONTO SAID CORE, AN INFLATABLEFOLLOWER ROLL, HAVING A SHAFT, A PAIR OF END PLATES, A SLEEVE FORMED OFSOFT AND HIGHLY RESILIENT MATERIAL EXTENDING BETWEEN AND SECURED TO SAIDEND PLATES, AND MEANS FOR INFLATING SAID SLEEVE, SAID SLEEVE BEINGLONGER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE WEB WHICH IS BEING WOUND, AND MEANS FORURGING SAID FOLLOWER ROLL AGAINST THE SURFACE OF THE WEB ROLL SO THATPORTIONS OF THE INFLATED FOLLOWER ROLL SLEEVE PROJECT OVER AND ONTO THESIDES OF THE WEB ROLL.